The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-04-23
A Prehistoric People.

The recent wonderful discoveries Of iron,
copper and silver ores in Northern Wis
consin, Michigan and Minnesota call atten-
ton to fact not generally known, that
wise old DIR. Franklin, while arranging the
treaty between this country and England
after the Revolution, so drew the boundary
lines between the last hostile powers as to
include in the United States the great mi
ming regions on the southern shore of Lake
Superior. In these days, when every week
gives fresh information concerning the
boundless wealth in iron, copper and silver
of this wonderful world the remark is often
heard that the treasures here entombed are
yet scarcely unloeked-so it would seem
upon cursory examination of the copper
and silver mines which fringe the bleak
shores of the great inland fresh-water sea.
Such is, however, not the fact. There is
indubitable evidence that long before the
red man hunted in the gloomy forests that.
girdle these wild and lonely shores--long
years before the first Jesuit launched his
boat upon the waves of the Getchee Gamee,
perhaps before "Adam delved and Eve
span" race of men, in numbers as the
sands on the shores, toiled and hammered
and beat the cupper-pure native copper
not only into implements of warfare, but
without doubt for transportation to other
lands. A civilization must then have ex-
listed far superior to any since known
among the native tribes north of Mexico.
Thousands of years ago race of people
worked the copper mines in the upper pc
ninsula. They worked the native copper
and were so far advanced in the mechani-
cal arts as to be able to handle masses Of
ore weighing many tons. Their imple-
ments were fashioned to do skillful work.
In working the copper mines of to-day
these implements are found at great
depth, showing that ages have elapsed since
this prehistoric race existed The geolog-
ical formations bear evidence that thous-
ands of years have passed since these peo-
die disappeared. Who were they? Whence
came they, and where did they go? Their
unfinished work has been laid before scien-
fists, their tools and implements of stone
and copper are to be seen in museums and
collections in Milwaukee and other cities,
and yet no one can give any reliable data
of the existence or extinction of these peo-
pie of the long ago.
The southern shores of Superior were
first explored in 1641 by two Jesuit priests.
Small bands continued to explore the re-
gion until 1850. In that year Alexander
Henry visited the region. He soon be-
came familiar with the fact that copper ex-
listed in the country. He published book
on the subject and described his explora-
tions. That prehistoric race had worked
these mines was not discovered until the
middle of the present century. The an
cient excavations are found in all parts of
the peninsula. There is scarcely vein of
copper in the whole district that does not
show evidence of ancient workings In
places they even extend in the rock from
three to sixty feet. The method of mi
ming was to heat the rock with fire and
then by pouring on water and pounding
with their stone hammers to disintegrate
and separate the ore. A careful search Of
all the old records shows that the Indians
who were found in thecountry were ignor-
ant of the mines and the uses of the metal
In 1847 s. 0. Knapp was prospecting
on the range near Rockland, small town
in Ontonagon county, Michigan. He open
ed test pit, the surface outcropping of
copper-bearing rock giving evidence of
hidden treasure, and when eighteen feet
from the surface he discovered mass of
nearly pure copper weighing more than six
tons. This is regarded as the most won
derful mineral discovery ever known, from
the fact that the copper was almost pure
and showed conclusively that it had been
worked and abandoned by a prehistoric
race.
This mass had been raised several feet
and secured there upon timbers. These
had decayed and the mass remained in its
place supported by the soil. 1t had been
hammered all over, until its surface was
perfectly smooth. In this pit, as in many
others, there were found great numbers of
stone hammers, bits of burned wood, and
copper chisel. Over this mass, drawing
its life from the soil, stood hemlock tree
which showed 1926 distinct annual rings of
growth; this was standing by the stump of
much larger tree which had grown, died,
and decayed since this pit had been dug,
and this mass had been raised from its bed
and the brands beneath it had been burned
and the soil gathered above it in the long
lapse of ages.